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- 17:50, 24 April 2012 Sample Training Protocol (hist) [9,257 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Here is a sample training plan for a foster dog's first week. It's fairly generic, and would work for most foster dogs who do not have specific behavioral issues. The protocol...")
- 16:25, 24 April 2012 Shy Dogs (hist) [5,957 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Many -- even most -- of the dogs that come through WAGS will initially appear to be shy. In many cases, the dog is not actually timid, just temporarily overwhelmed by the stre...")
- 14:33, 24 April 2012 Play With Your Dog! (hist) [6,094 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Play is a key part of training and socializing your foster dogs. You want to teach them that people are fun, and that learning is fun, and that learning things with people is ...")
- 09:26, 13 April 2012 Hyper Dogs (hist) [11,843 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Very few dogs that come through WAGS are actually, clinically "hyper." Quite a few of them, however, are high-energy dogs descended from hard-working breeds such as border col...")
- 13:04, 12 April 2012 10 Things I Love About You (hist) [3,940 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "The second major component of the foster pre-training program, after Nothing In Life Is Free, is a game I call "10 Things I Love About You." Like NILF, the purpose of this...")
- 16:37, 4 February 2012 Trainers (hist) [2,661 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "* [http://controlunleashed.net| Control Unleashed] based outside Philadelphia. Leslie McDevitt offers in-person behavioral and training consultations as well as phone/video co...")
- 08:39, 4 February 2012 Shelters and Rescue Groups (hist) [4,161 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with " == Area Shelters == These shelters have dedicated physical facilities and frequently either have animal control contracts for their municipalities or work closely with the o...")
- 07:36, 4 February 2012 Books and DVDs (hist) [2,408 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with " == Books == '''Training''' * Jean Donaldson, The Culture Clash * Jean Donaldson, Train Your Dog Like A Pro * Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson, My Smart Puppy * Pat Miller, ...")
- 15:40, 3 February 2012 An Ounce of Prevention (hist) [4,867 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "This section overlaps considerably with Training and Troubleshooting, but I'm categorizing these exercises as Socialization games because they involve habituating a fo...")
- 13:46, 3 February 2012 The Adoption Packet (hist) [2,280 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "I have often found it helpful to prepare a small "starter package" of things to send with a foster dog when she moves on to her forever home. Not only does it benefit the adop...")
- 07:15, 3 February 2012 Socializing (hist) [5,706 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Socialize, socialize, socialize. I live with a fearful/fear-aggressive mutt monster who, owing in large part to a severely undersocialized puppyhood, would ''still'' be unabl...")
- 15:58, 1 February 2012 Saying Goodbye (hist) [5,068 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Letting go of a foster pet is simultaneously the happiest and hardest part of the whole thing. You have lived with this dog, loved her, spent hours training and socializing he...")
- 21:14, 31 January 2012 Home Visits (hist) [5,126 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Whether to conduct a home visit is up to you. WAGS does not require them as a routine part of the adoption process, but a home visit may be appropriate based on the individual...")
- 10:14, 31 January 2012 Playing Matchmaker (hist) [9,838 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "So you've found a prospective adopter! Great! Now you have to figure out whether this adopter would be a good match for your foster dog. If the adopter has already submitted ...")
- 16:38, 30 January 2012 Getting the Word Out (hist) [4,522 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "It's never too early to start thinking about placing your foster dog. Keep an eye out for opportunities: if you know someone who is looking for a dog, mention that you might h...")
- 16:50, 29 January 2012 Separation Anxiety (hist) [7,681 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Earlier I said that most WAGS dogs don't have serious behavioral issues. This is true: by and large, rescuers do their best to screen out dogs who present with severe fearfuln...")
- 15:06, 29 January 2012 Resource Guarding (hist) [5,771 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Mild resource guarding is extremely common among newly arrived foster dogs. The first sign is that the dog hunches over his prized possession, lowering his head and forequarte...")
- 19:40, 28 January 2012 Jumping and Mouthing (hist) [3,940 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Jumping and mouthing are two separate behaviors -- there are dogs who jump at you in greeting without mouthing, and there are dogs (especially puppies) who are very mouthy in ...")
- 19:39, 28 January 2012 House Soiling (hist) [4,406 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "If you're following the protocol laid out in the Housebreaking section -- taking your foster dog out frequently, supervising her closely, and confining her to her crate fo...")
- 19:38, 28 January 2012 Destructiveness (hist) [2,903 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Dogs, especially young dogs, like to chew things. Hopefully you have provided a wide selection and ample supply of chew toys for your foster pup to choose from,...")
- 19:37, 28 January 2012 Barking (hist) [2,827 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "If barking is a potential source of trouble for you -- for example, if you live in apartment or condo with noise-sensitive neighbors who are home all day -- the first step is ...")
- 04:25, 28 January 2012 Troubleshooting (hist) [3,338 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "I want to preface this section with two caveats: # '''Dogs are not perfect.''' ''Nobody's'' dogs are perfect. When I first started getting seriously into training, I thought ...")
- 02:37, 28 January 2012 Tricks (hist) [3,619 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "It's good for a foster dog to have a couple of tricks up her sleeve. Tricks are fun to teach, fun for the dog to learn, and go a long way toward impressing prospective adopte...")
- 15:39, 27 January 2012 Obedience 101 (hist) [4,271 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Obedience 101 consists of the five basic behaviors that most pet owners would consider sufficient to qualify your foster pup as a "well-trained dog": Sit, Stay, Down, Come (re...")
- 13:04, 27 January 2012 Housebreaking (hist) [6,399 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Bad news first: there is a good chance that your foster dog will not be fully housetrained before you send her off to her forever home. I say this not to be discouraging, but...")
- 16:43, 26 January 2012 Nothing In Life Is Free (hist) [5,846 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "The cornerstone to teaching your new foster pup patience, politeness, and deference to you is... Sit. First, of course, you need to teach her to Sit. This should take about a...")
- 11:08, 26 January 2012 Foundations (hist) [9,859 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Before you dive into the actual work of training, it helps to be familiar with a few underlying foundations, some for the human and some for the dog. == Clicker Training == ...")
- 15:25, 25 January 2012 Training (hist) [5,865 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "One of the most important things you can do for your foster dog is give her a strong, positive foundation in manners and basic obedience commands. It is likely that you will ...")
- 16:00, 22 January 2012 Training Treats (hist) [3,766 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Treats are a cornerstone of any good positive training program. I suggest keeping several varieties on hand: dogs have different preferences, and it may take a few tries to fi...")
- 14:06, 21 January 2012 Chew Toys (hist) [6,776 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Dogs need to chew. The foster mutts that come through WAGS, being mainly puppies, adolescents, and young adult dogs, ''especially'' need to chew. Kongs are and will always be...")
- 11:06, 21 January 2012 Food (hist) [12,019 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "What should you feed your foster dog? Food is one of the most contentious topics in dogdom. A lot of people have very strong feelings that the diet they give to their dogs is...")
- 17:15, 20 January 2012 The First Day (hist) [4,527 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "As exciting as it is to bring a new dog home, the first day (first ''several'' days, really) should be as tranquil and disturbance-free as you can make them. Remember: your ne...")
- 16:07, 19 January 2012 Dog-Cat Introductions (hist) [5,594 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Contrary to what old cliches might have you believe, dogs and cats can and frequently do live together just fine. As with all else, however, it takes patience, careful managem...")
- 09:06, 19 January 2012 Dog-Dog Introductions (hist) [9,094 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Most foster homes already have one or more resident dogs. In fact, foster homes that ''don't'' have resident pets, and can therefore accommodate foster pups who aren't too fri...")
- 21:36, 18 January 2012 Supplies (hist) [4,225 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "So you've decided to take the plunge and foster a dog in need! Hooray! First stop: the pet supply store. You're going to need to stock up. Even if you already have a dog (or ...")
- 16:47, 18 January 2012 Choosing the Right Foster Dog (hist) [6,759 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "WAGS rescues a tremendous variety of dogs: puppies, adolescents, adults and seniors; males and females; big dogs and small ones; high-energy hounds and couch potatoes; dogs wh...")
- 15:12, 18 January 2012 Is Fostering Right For You? (hist) [4,773 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "While fostering a needy pet is an extraordinarily rewarding experience, it's not for everyone. Foster dogs typically arrive with no training and no idea how to live inside a h...")
- 13:27, 18 January 2012 What Does Fostering Involve? (hist) [2,350 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "Fostering a dog means taking that dog into your home and treating it with love, care, and patience until it can find a permanent home. Foster parents are responsible for ensur...")
- 13:23, 18 January 2012 FosterInvolve (hist) [1,683 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with " == What Does Fostering Involve? == Fostering a dog means taking that dog into your home and treating it with love, care, and patience until it can find a permanent home. Fos...")
- 08:56, 17 January 2012 Main Page (hist) [2,698 bytes] Merciel (Talk | contribs) (Created page with " == Introduction: What is Fostering? == == The Basics == *Food *Manners *Training *Socializing")
